Infrastructure Development Remains a Priority for Indonesia in 2017

Vehicles are stuck in a traffic jam during peak hour in Jakarta, May 27,2013. Increase of private vehicles that are not controlled, the existence of malls, apartments, and office buildings triggering congestion in Jakarta. KRISTIANTO PURNOMO

Indonesia is notoriously suffering of deficient infrastructure and successive governments have been working hard to improve the situation.

The development of infrastructure and transportation to boost inter-regional connectivity will conequently remain the government`s priority in 2017, declared Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to the State news agency Antara.

“As we enter 2017, I would like to stress, once again, the development of infrastructure and transportation that ensures connectivity between areas, islands and especially, rural regions will remain the government`s priority,” Jokowi stated, in a closed meeting in the State Palace Complex on Thursday.

It will facilitate balanced development and growth, at the same time, narrowing inequality between cities and villages in Indonesia, the president believed.

“I want to emphasize that building connectivity does not solely mean developing transportation infrastructure, but it is also related to logistic systems and multi-means distribution,” he remarked.

People in rural, border and far-flung areas have to pay a high price to buy even the basic necessities. They even find it hard to obtain these goods, the president pointed out.

“I have, therefore, directed the authorities concerned to ensure that toll roads and flyovers are well integrated with industrial areas and logistic centers,” he declared.

Besides, sea toll roads and sky bridges should boost the areas economy by facilitating easy movement, the president asserted.

The infrastructure in the country must ensure easy exchange of goods between districts, rather than just allowing goods into a particular area, the president stressed.